The Ruby Dice

Two men, two empires. Jaibriol ruled the Eubian Concord: over two trillion people across more than a thousand worlds and habitats. Kelric ruled the Skolian Imperialate. War had come before-and it might come again, devastating vast swathes of the galaxy. Neither Jaibriol nor Kelric wanted war, but neither was complete master of his realm. And each hid a secret that, if revealed, might be his downfall. Jaibriol was a secret psion, with telepathic abilities, and to be a psion in the Eubian Concord was to be a contemptible slave, eventually to be tortured for the pleasure of the slave's owner. Kelric, years ago, had disappeared for nearly two decades. He had been a prisoner and slave on the planet Coban, part of neither empire, until he had managed to escape. And if the Skolian Imperialate knew of his captivity, there would be demands for vengeance, ravaging Coban-and killing the wife and children Kelric had left behind when he escaped. Neither man knew how much longer he could keep his secret-nor how much longer they could hold back the threat of a war that could incinerate hundreds of inhabited worlds.

Roll the Dice of Empire! The Eubian Interstellar Concord. Dominating. Static. A pyramid of cosmic power built on the bones of slaves. Their opponents The freedom-loving, telepathic Skolian Imperialate. Now centuries of war come to head and a new galactic Dark Age looms as rival emperors -- related by blood, love, and an intrigue as deep as the space between stars _ take a desperate gamble to find a way through the carnage of battle to a new understanding. But first they'll have to keep their own heads off the chopping blocks of the enemy within. The latest and greatest entry in the star-spanning Skolian Saga! At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management). A New SF Legend Re-makes Worlds! "[T]houghtful, engaging characters and an intriguing vision of the future." ¾Publishers Weekly on Nebula-award-winning Catherine Asaro's "Skolian Saga."

In this collection of short stories, the legendary detective must solve one mystery per month in a year of chilling crime. Every new year, the seven remaining alumni of the first graduating class of Eastern University gather in Manhattan to reminisce. Within that group, there is a secret clique—the Inner Circle—forged around a crooked business arrangement, the profits of which will be collected by the last living member. When three of the Inner Circle die within a year, the remaining men fear for their lives. Just before Christmas, one of the survivors comes to the great detective Ellery Queen to beg for help. There are just a few days to save a life—and the university itself. Even if Queen can get to the bottom of the Inner Circle, eleven more puzzles will greet him throughout the year. As Calendar of Crime flips onward, the detective will find that there is no off-season for murder.

A two-part adventure of time travel, romance, and interstellar intrigue that takes you “from the L.A. barrios to the universe! Excellent” (The San Diego Union-Tribune). Born in Mexico but living in East LA much of her young life, Tina Santis Pulivok has always felt different from her friends and family. Her mind picks up the moods of others, but she’s never understood why—until a bizarre meeting gives her a one-of-a-kind connection to a soldier from the future. Their connection will transcend both time and space—and the future of both their worlds depends on it . . . Earthborn Tina knows the strange man on the street must be lost, but she can’t imagine just how far he is from home. Althor, an Imperial Space Command pilot, left his planet in 2328 to attend a reception in Washington DC—and somehow ended up in 1987 Los Angeles. When the military captures his starfighter, he and Tina race to recover the ship before it detonates—and takes a large swath of California with it . . . Starborn Following her heart, Tina leaves Earth behind when she travels to a future universe with starfighter pilot Althor. But the more she learns about his powerful, telepathic family, the more she realizes how much danger they’re in, as a merciless enemy targets the newlywed couple in a treasonous plan to conquer human civilization. Praise for Lightning Strike “A space adventure for the twenty-first century.” —Nancy Kress, Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author “A truly masterful accomplishment of world-building, an example of consummate craftsmanship and an impeccable feel for the technical and social possibilities that lie ahead of us. Hard science fiction fans can rejoice—the next superstar is here.” —Romantic Times

Del was a rock singer. He was also the renegade son of the Ruby Dynasty, which made his career choice less than respectable, and gave him more to worry about than getting gigs and not getting cheated by recording companies, club owners, or his agent. For one thing, the Ruby Dynasty ruled the Skolian Imperialate, an interstellar Empire, which had recently had a war with another empire, the Eubian Concord. For another, Del was singing on Earth, which was part of a third interstellar civilization, and one which had an uneasy relationship with the Imperialate. Del undeniably had talent, and was rapidly rising from an unknown fringe artist to stardom. But, with his life entangled in the politics of three interstellar civilizations, whether he wanted that or not, talent might not be enough. And that factor might have much more effect than his music on the lives of trillions of people on the thousands of inhabited worlds across the galaxy. At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).

MAJOR BHAAJAN RETURNS. Book three in the Skolian Empire Major Bhaajan series by Catherine Asaro. SURVIVE THE CITY OF CRIES Bhaajan grew up in the Undercity, a community hidden in the ruins buried beneath the glittering City of Cries. Caught between the astonishing beauty and crushing poverty of that life, and caught by wanderlust, she enlisted in the military. Now retired, Major Bhaajan is a private investigator who solves cases for the House of Majda, a powerful royal family centered in Cries. The powerful elite of the City of Cries are disappearing, and only Bhaajan, who grew up in the Undercity, can find them—if she isn’t murdered first. At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management). About the Major Bhaajan series: “. . . riveting. . . . The world is rich and vivid, with two distinct cultures in the Undercity and the aboveground City of Cries. This exciting novel stands alone for anyone who enjoys science fiction adventure.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Asaro plants herself firmly into that grand SF tradition of future history franchises favored by luminaries like Heinlein, Asimov, Herbert, Anderson, Dickson, Niven, Cherryh, and Baxter . . . They don't write em like that anymore! Except Asaro does, with . . . up-to-the-minute savvy!"—Locus "Baahjan, who starts out keeping an emotional distance from the people in the Undercity soon grows to think of them as her community once more. Asaro . . . returns to the Skolian empire's early history to tell Bhaajan's story."—Booklist "Asaro delivers a tale rich with the embedded history of her world and bright with technical marvels. Her characters are engaging and intriguing and there is even a bit of romance. What really touched my heart was Bhaaj's interaction with the children of the aqueducts. I spent the last fifty pages of the book sniffling into a tissue."—SFcrowsnest "I'm hooked, both on her writing and her Skolian universe. This book had everything I wanted: strong characters, a new and unique world, and a plot that isn't as simple as it first appears."—TerryTalk About the Skolian Saga: “Entertaining mix of hard SF and romance.”—Publishers Weekly “Asaro’s Skolian saga is now nearly as long and in many ways as compelling as Dune, if not more so, featuring a multitude of stronger female characters.”—Booklist “Rapid pacing and gripping suspense.”—Publishers Weekly

Following her heart, she left Earth behind—and now only she can save it . . . Tina Santis Pulivok never thought anyone would make sense of the strange way her mind could become saturated with other people’s moods. But then she met Althor, an empathic starfighter pilot from hundreds of years in the future. As their love grows, she leaves her Earth to join his universe where she has no ties except to Althor and their vulnerable marriage. Althor comes from a race of rare psions whose abilities are vital to the survival of humanity, making him coveted by three interstellar civilizations. His enemies sabotaged his starfighter and never expected him to return. Now he faces betrayals from every side. He and Tina become the targets of a merciless enemy who thrives on pain—and who will do anything to destroy the budding alliance between Althor’s people and Tina’s Earth . . . The completion of the thrilling interstellar adventure that began with Earthborn. Praise for Lightning Strike “From the L.A. barrios to the universe! Excellent.” —The San Diego Union-Tribune “A truly masterful accomplishment of world-building, an example of consummate craftsmanship and an impeccable feel for the technical and social possibilities that lie ahead of us. Hard science fiction fans can rejoice—the next superstar is here.” —Romantic Times

From a Mayan village to an L.A. barrio to a chance to reach the stars . . . Part One of “a space adventure for the twenty-first century” (Nancy Kress, Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author). Not much surprises waitress Tina Santis Pulivok on the streets of East LA—until the night when, on her way home from her waitressing job, she meets a man working on a strange, glowing box. Still, she thinks he must be one of those Caltech students who’s into role-playing games. Until his mind reaches out to hers . . . Althor is definitively in the wrong place at the wrong time. An Imperial Space Command pilot, he was headed to a reception in Washington DC and somehow ended up here, though he’s not quite sure where here is. As Tina helps Althor get his bearings, they realize he’s in more trouble than he thought. He left his home base in 2328—and now it’s 1987. At least he still has his starfighter, shrouded and in orbit above the Earth. But when the military gets their hands on the ship, he and Tina must race to reclaim it before it detonates itself—taking a huge chunk of California along with it . . . Praise for Lightning Strike “From the L.A. barrios to the universe! Excellent.” —The San Diego Union-Tribune “A truly masterful accomplishment of world-building, an example of consummate craftsmanship and an impeccable feel for the technical and social possibilities that lie ahead of us. Hard science fiction fans can rejoice—the next superstar is here.” —Romantic Times